2026 Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program Application

✻ = Required

County: ✻

Calaveras Tuolumne Other

First Name: ✻

Last Name: ✻

Mailing Address: ✻

City: ✻

State:

Zip Code: ✻

Email: ✻

The phone you would like us to use. Please include area code: ✻

Cell Phone, please include area code:

Work Phone, please include area code:

Occupation (if retired, occupation at time of retirement): ✻

How did you learn about our Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program? ✻

Friend or Master Gardener Newspaper Radio Flyer Other

Emergency Contact Information

Emergency Contact Name: ✻

Emergency Contact Phone: ✻

Relationship: ✻

Your Health Care Provider: ✻

Health Care Provider Phone: ✻

Information we need to meet Federal reporting requirements (submission of this information is optional):

Gender (Optional):

Male Female

Ethnicity (Optional):

Black American Indian White Asian/Pacific Islander Hispanic Decline to state

Please complete the following:

1. Why do you want to become a University of California Cooperative Extension Master Gardener Volunteer? ✻

2. What are your expectations of being a Master Gardener Volunteer? ✻

3. What experiences have you had working with people? ✻

4. Please list volunteer groups you have been involved with. ✻

5. List your role in these volunteer groups and sample activities. ✻

6. Tell us about a special project or activity you initiated and completed in your community or work. (Special event, fundraiser, boy/girl scouts, church event, etc.) ✻

7. Languages other than English that you speak, read, write, or translate: ✻

8. What is your highest education degree level? ✻

None High School AA BS or BA Master PhD

9. What times of the day are you most available to volunteer? (Check all that apply.) ✻

Weekdays - daytime Weekdays - evenings Saturday - mornings Flexible Schedule Anytime

10. What special skills would you bring to the program? (Check all that apply.) ✻

Artistic Computer Skills (MS Office) Arts & Crafts Construction Photography Finance Computer Graphics Website Design or Maintenance Other, please describe below

If other, please explain.

11. What teaching/communication experience do you have? (Check all that apply and give details in comment section.) ✻

Writing articles Speaking to large groups (30+ people) Speaking to small groups (<30 people) Demonstrations to groups One-on-one consultations Educational art displays Other: please describe below.

If other, please explain.

12. Teaching/Communication experience comments:

13. Please list any gardening group affiliations:

14. Please list any community group affiliations:

15. Which of our volunteer activity opportunities would you most likely participate in?

Public Education Classes: ✻

Yes Maybe No

Helpline and or Hotline: ✻

Yes Maybe No

Farmers' Markets, Fairs: ✻

Yes Maybe No

Writing articles: ✻

Yes Maybe No

Demonstration Garden: ✻

Yes Maybe No

School Gardens: ✻

Yes Maybe No

Technical support at office (website, facebook, computer maintenance): ✻

Yes Maybe No

Clerical Tasks at office: ✻

Yes Maybe No

16. What kind of gardener do you consider yourself? ✻

Beginning Intermediate Experienced

17. Years of gardening experience; explain type(s) of gardening experiences and/or personal gardening interests: ✻

Please describe your experience with the following (if no experience please write none):

18. Gardening-related training: ✻

19. Experience with vegetables: ✻

20. Experience with fruit trees: ✻

21. Experience with drought tolerant/native plants: ✻

22. Experience with ornamental flowers, landscaping trees, etc.: ✻

23. What other skills or areas of expertise do you have that might help our program? ✻

Any other comments you want to add that we haven't addressed?

YOUR COMMITMENT

I wish to become a Master Gardener Volunteer in My County.

I agree to attend weekly classes beginning February 19, 2026 and complete the online short tests to graduate on May 28, 2026. If I am going to miss a class, I will email the Program Representative (Debbie Powell). ✻

Yes No

The Demonstration Garden in both Calaveras or Tuolumne County require different types of volunteering. Anywhere from volunteering at the greeters table at Open Garden Days, to actually working in the garden. For the first year it requires a certain amount of volunteer time to be spent at the demonstration garden, depending on the respective county. Would you have any problems volunteering in this way? ✻

Yes No

I understand that I must volunteer at least 50 hours during my first year after graduation to the activity projects provided by the program by June 30, 2027. For each subsequent year, I must complete 25 volunteer hours and 12 continuing education hours. Will you be able to do this? ✻

Yes No

I agree to post all my volunteer and continuing education hours on the online Statewide Master Gardener Volunteer Management System in a timely manner. ✻

Yes No

This will be a blended training class which means that some of the training will be done on-line, except weekly in-person labs. Do you have access to the internet? ✻

Yes No

Please choose either the Master Gardener Volunteer Rate or the Professional Rate. The Professional rate is for those that will not become volunteers, although this is subject to class size.

The fee payment deadline is January 18, 2026.

✻

Master Gardener Volunteer Rate of $195 Professional Rate of $350

2) Complete Live Scan Fingerprint process by January 31, 2026. (To comply with state law, all volunteers with the University of California must be fingerprinted and undergo a background check.) More information about the fingerprinting process will be provided after acceptance into the program. ✻

Yes No

Please use this text box for any comments you might have.

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2026 Master Gardener Volunteer Training Program Application - Calaveras/Tuolumne